We All Fall Down
by GoddessofDawn7843
Summary: (AU/Summer after S1) Two weeks after the Undertaking, as Oliver struggles to deal with Tommy's death, his mother's imprisonment and Laurel constantly avoiding him, things only get more complicated when an old childhood friend with a secret of his own, an Amazon of a woman with a vendetta and a murderer who leaves his victims with a smile on their face all arrive in Starling City
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** (AU/Summer after S1) Two weeks after the Undertaking, as Oliver struggles to deal with Tommy's death, his mother's imprisonment and Laurel constantly avoiding him, things only get more complicated when an old childhood friend with a secret of his own, an Amazon of a woman with a vendetta and a murder with a deadly sense of humor who leaves his victims with a smile on their face all arrive in Starling City.

**A/N:** I am going to have so much fun with this ;)

This was written for my own personal enjoyment and because I heart _Arrow_ and this idea has me bugging and squealing like a fan-girl – though, I do sincerely hope any of you reading this will like it as well.

**Disclaimer:** …Uh… no. Ya'll know whose deal that is, right?

* * *

**And We All Fall Down**

* * *

"_There's nothing we can say or do/The damages in front of you –  
I'm sorry, but sometimes things fall apart.  
Take some time to understand/The situation's out of hand –  
But you didn't see it from the start."  
_- Cassettes Won't Listen, '_**Freeze and Explode**_' Lyrics

* * *

**~1~  
**_Departures & Arrivals_

* * *

Fidgeting with the hem of her black dress, Felicity Smoak's blond eyebrows furrowed together as she bit her now pale pink-glossed bottom lip. Okay… maybe bright neon pink nail polish _wasn't_ the best idea she'd ever had… or, maybe 'inappropriate' is the right word?

She was on edge, and she hated black, and she really didn't want to go to a funeral – and did she mention she didn't like black? She didn't like going to funerals _because_ she had to wear black, but that wasn't why she didn't want to go to this particular funeral. Why? Well, for one, there would be crying, and then, of course, she didn't know the, uh… deceased all that well, but mostly, because this would have been her first real funeral since like, ever.

So, yeah, she wasn't looking forward to that day _at all_.

Her nervousness must have been obvious, because as they were pulling up in front of the gloomy, grey stone monstrosity that was the Queen mansion, Felicity felt a hand on her shoulder and when she looked up, she saw Diggle look at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Relax," he said, squeezing gently before getting out.

Felicity got out as well and joined him as they walked up to the front door. "Is it normal being this nervous? 'Cuz, it kinda feels like I'm about to throw up here," she admitted.

"It's nothing to be nervous about, Felicity. We just have to show up – we can sit in the back of the church."

She looked down and tugged at her hem again. "Yeah, I know we can, but none of that makes any of this any less… weird. I mean, sure, I've seen him around, and I guess we talked a little whenever I was at the club, but…"

"We're doing this for Oliver." He reminded her.

Felicity's shoulders slumped and she nodded. "Right… of course."

But, when Diggle knocked against the door, instead of Roza, they were met with a tense-looking Thea Queen. She was wearing all black too.

"Oh, great, it's you guys," the teenager said before either of them could even open their mouths, and then, unexpectedly, "Have you seen my brother?"

Felicity blinked. "You mean he isn't here?"

"No, and guessing by the looks on your faces, he isn't with you either – I'm so gonna kill him." She said, frowning. "He said he had some construction stuff to take care of at _Verdant_, but that was the day before yesterday and I made him promise he'd show up for the funeral. I thought he'd at least be with one of you."

"He hasn't been back since then?" Diggle asked.

Thea shook her head and sighed, "When I checked the club this morning, I couldn't find him anywhere. Look, if you see him just tell him I'll meet him at the church, please? It's getting late."

"Don't worry we'll get him there on time." Diggle reassured.

Thea looked relieved, if only a little. "Thanks."

After that and the door closed, Felicity and Diggle exchanged troubled looks.

"When was the last the time you were down there?" Diggle asked quietly.

"Two weeks ago…" Felicity said in a small voice and Diggle's eyes lit up in acknowledgement. "What about you?"

"It's been a few days," he admitted.

"So, you think he's… you know?"

Diggle nodded. "Most likely…" he said and sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Dammit, Oliver…"

* * *

**The Glades…  
**_Verdant_

* * *

It had been fourteen days, two weeks since half of the Glades had been leveled, and for the first time in years, there seemed to be an unspoken truce between Starling City's inhabitants, between its poor and its rich, its villains and its heroes… it was a fragile kind of peace that existed on the streets, but it was true and it was there nonetheless.

And yet, the city seemed to be holding its breath. There was something in the air – a tension that seemed to coil tighter and tighter as time went by.

…But, for now the sun was shining, and the sky was clear and blue and, slowly, people settled into a routine of sorts. Oliver Queen was one of them.

As far as _Verdant_ was concerned, though the building had come off relatively intact, there were still multiple damages that needed to be taken care off. Right now, most of the furniture was covered in tarps while paint cans and various building materials stood all over the place, and since it was a Saturday, the builders wouldn't be back until Monday and a thick silence hung over the empty club.

Well… partly empty anyway.

Underneath, behind a hidden door and down a metal staircase, it was far darker than it was above with only a single blinking computer screen as the main source of light.

Sitting in the corner on a pile of sparring mats, nursing what must have been his second or third whiskey for the afternoon, Oliver stared into the dark.

He wasn't exactly sure how long he'd been down there, perhaps it was a day, perhaps it was a week – either way, there was just him and the silence and the gloom… and occasionally that stinging warmth sliding down his throat that had somewhat dulled by then.

So… at first, Oliver didn't react when he heard footsteps coming from the staircase. He didn't react to someone calling out his name either and it was only when the florescent lighting above his head was switched on that he squinted a little to make sense of exactly who he was looking at.

Neither Diggle nor Felicity noticed him at first until he groaned at the pesky light and simply lay back so that he was looking up at the ceiling. "Turn off the lights…" he grumbled, covering his eyes with his arm.

"Oliver?" Diggle asked.

When he felt a pair of shadows eclipse the light above him, and when Oliver peeked out from under his arm, he saw his friends looking down at him, Diggle frowning while Felicity's eyebrows were knitted together in concern.

Oliver covered his eyes again. "Hey guys…"

"Wait, that smell…" Felicity must have seen the bottles. "Have you been drinking?"

Oliver muttered something else before reluctantly sitting up, ignoring the question as he half squinted up at them. "What are you doing here?"

"We could ask you the same thing," Diggle said, his disapproval now very obvious.

"I own the place," he said deadpan.

Diggle scowled at him. "You know what I mean, Oliver – man, what is wrong with you? Do you even know what today is?"

"A Thursday…?"

"It's Saturday,"

It didn't take long for this information to sink in and with it the implication, but instead of jumping up and panicking like most people would have done, Oliver merely blinked for a few moments before hanging his head.

"Oh…"

"What do you mean 'oh'? C'mon we're already late. Your sister's angry enough at you as it is."

"I'm not going, Dig."

"Now don't give me that," Diggle began.

"I'm serious," he said, "I… How can I?"

"Wasn't Tommy your friend?" Felicity asked.

Oliver looked up at her. "He was… and it's my fault he's dead."

Diggle's demeanor softened slightly, his scowl fading. "Don't do that to yourself, Oliver."

"But it's true, isn't it?" the blond man asked quietly.

"So, this is your plan? You're just gonna stay down here forever?"

"It's been working for me so far."

Diggle's mouth set into a grim line until he felt a slight tug at his sleeve, and when he turned his head, Felicity was looking at him. "Do you mind if I try something?"

He sighed. "Knock yourself out."

Felicity nodded before walking over to Oliver's side and sat down next to him. For a few moment, the two of them just sat there as Diggle stood on the side with his arms crossed over his chest – the silence hung over them until, eventually, Felicity spoke up.

"Do you remember when you told me I could come to you if I ever wanted to talk to someone about my day?" she asked, not expecting Oliver to answer. "Well, this is kind of like this, but not… I don't know if you know this, and, let's face it, you know _a lot_ – which is kind of creepy, by the way… not that you're creepy, but you know what I mean, right?"

Oliver snorted as Diggle's mouth twitched upwards.

Felicity then shook her head slightly. "And, I'm babbling… but, anyway, like I was saying, when I was a kid, my dad died."

This obviously got Oliver's attention as he then turned his head towards her and regarded her carefully.

"Okay, no, I wasn't a kid-kid – I was sixteen, but, my point is I just got home from school one day, thinking about homework and the cute boy who didn't know I existed, and the next moment, I walk into my house and my entire family's there. I didn't know what happened yet, but everyone was crying and when they saw me, they started hugging me for no reason, not saying a word…" she then cleared her throat slightly. "That's then when I found my mom in the kitchen… and she told me about my dad and how he had an accident…"

During this, Felicity simultaneously tried not to get too emotional and pretend that she didn't notice that Oliver's hand had covered hers. He then squeezed gently. "…What happened?"

"Long story short? At the day of the funeral, I didn't go." She said and paused. "I remember standing in front of the church, ready to go in and… mourn, but before I did, I just… I couldn't.

"I don't know what happened, but I hung back, everyone was already inside… and the next thing I knew I was in a diner, ordering the biggest burger on the menu with a strawberry milkshake. I have no idea how I got there since I guess I blocked everything out, but I stayed until it was all over."

Oliver still kept his hand over hers as silence enveloped them again.

But, eventually, "I'm sorry." He said very softly.

Felicity forced a weak smile. "It's okay… but, do you want to know something else? Out of every other mistake I've ever made in my life, I always regret not saying goodbye to my dad the most." She said before looking directly at Oliver. "…You can, you know? Say goodbye? I think Tommy would appreciate it."

Their eyes met and they held each other's gazes for a minute before Oliver looked away and sighed.

Diggle watched on in quiet astonishment as he then stood up (clumsy as it may have been), and then offered a hand to held Felicity up as well.

Then, with resignation, "Give me ten minutes."

* * *

**Meanwhile…  
**_Starling City Airport_

* * *

Bruce Wayne's midnight blue eyes stared out unseeingly out of the small round window of his sleek black private jet. His hand was curled a fist as it supported his chin while he absentmindedly traced the shape of a small golden band in the side pocket of his jacket with his thumb – he didn't seem to notice that the plane had come to a standstill.

"Sir…?"

Temporarily stirred out of his distracted state, Bruce turned his head and looked up at an older, very regal looking Englishman.

"Mmm…?"

"The plane, Master Bruce, it seems we finally arrived at our destination – shall I call for our car now or do you wish to continue your brooding here for a while longer?"

Bruce cocked an eyebrow. "Sarcasm, Alfred?"

"Perish the thought." The butler said wryly.

Just then, coming out of the plane's small kitchenette, a nine year old black-haired boy was busy munching on a bag of roast peanuts.

"This plane has everything," he said, casually perching himself on Bruce's armrest. "Did you know there are thirteen different flavored peanuts in there? It's mind-blowing."

Alfred smiled, "Enjoying yourself, Master Richard?"

"Sure am, Alfie," Dick said, skillfully balancing a peanut on his thumb before flicking it into his open mouth – when he swallowed, he then turned to Bruce. "Anyways, now that we're here, are you gonna tell us what the plan is?"

"You know why we're here, Dick." Bruce said patiently.

"Sure I know _why_, you just didn't tell us anything else – you know, sharing is caring, Bruce." He said matter-of-factly, resting his elbow on Bruce's shoulder.

Bruce narrowed his eyes slightly despite the small tug at the corners of his lips. "Why did I bring you with me again?"

"Because it's summer and you didn't want me to stay in Gotham on my own? And admit it, if I wasn't here, this trip would be 75% less awesome."

Bruce gently nudged him in the side with his elbow. "You're annoying."

Dick grinned broadly. "One of my many charms," he said and shrugged. "But, seriously though, what's the plan?"

"I'm curious about that as well," Alfred added. "Have you perhaps considered what I mentioned earlier? He could be of great help,"

Bruce's features darkened. "He's not an option."

"Whoa, are we talking about that vigilante?" Dick asked, suddenly excited. "He's so cool! I saw this one clip over the internet where he went all ninja on a whole lot of these big, muscle-y guys – took them out in three minutes!"

"He's dangerous, Dick." Bruce said sternly.

Alfred cleared his throat. "I do believe they said the same thing about you not too long ago."

Bruce rolled his eyes. "That was seven years ago, Alfred, and I never killed anybody."

"Maybe not, but just by looking at what this man has accomplished so far, I truly think he means well."

"I don't care what his intensions are he's not getting involved in this." He said in a final sort of way. "You can call for the car now, Alfred."

Alfred nodded. "As you wish, Master Bruce." He said and pulled out a cell phone.

"That's too bad," Dick said wistfully. "You know, if you two teamed-up, you could kick some serious-" Alfred coughed loudly and he smiled apologetically in turn, "-butt," he said quickly. "And, I mean, aren't you curious? You are a detective, Bruce – don't you want to know who this guy is?"

"I have better things to do than follow up on a punk with a bow and arrow," he said, his hand enveloping the ring in his pocket and stared out of the window again. "…more important things."

* * *

**Elsewhere…  
**_Starling City Private Graveyard_

* * *

She was going to murder him – slowly, preferably with a large hammer of sorts – one way or another, she was going to find her brother, and when she did-

Thea's thoughts of her brother's assassination were interrupted when she felt Roy nudge her in the side. She looked at him inquiringly until he gestured with head in the opposite direction – when she followed where he was pointing, she balled her fists when she saw that Oliver had finally arrived.

She was about to march over to him when Roy once again stopped her, and when she took a second look at Oliver, she hesitated herself.

He looked terrible, his clothes were wrinkled and disheveled, and he looked like he hadn't slept in days – but, what really threw Thea was the look on his face when he saw that the casket was already in the ground and busy being covered by dirt.

Laurel was there too, she had been the first in the church when the service began, and was currently the only one standing at the edge of the grave, watching in silence and apparently oblivious of any newcomers… until, that was, Oliver came closer.

Thea watched in twisted fascination as the two of them exchanged looks – Laurel, for lack of a better word, looked utterly pissed, as well sad and maybe a little guilty too? Oliver's expression, however, was completely different, sad as well, but silently pleading and, for the first time since Thea could remember, completely helpless.

Neither of them talked to each other, but with a huff, Laurel squared her shoulders and walked right passed Oliver without looking at him again. Oliver's shoulders slumped in resignation before he walked over to where Laurel had stood only moments ago.

Slowly, Thea walked up so that she could stand next to him. He didn't react at first, but she knew he knew it was her when she hugged him and he put his arm around her shoulders.

"…You are an idiot," she said with no real animosity.

His cheeks twitched. "I know."

She pressed her cheek against his chest. "I saw what just happened with Laurel… _ouch_."

"Is that why you're not yelling at me right now?"

"Oh, I'm still gonna yell at you later, but _right_ now, I think you just need someone to give you a break… even if you smell like booze."

He kissed her on top of her head. "You're a good sister, Speedy."

She smiled slightly. "I'm the best," she said before pulling back slightly and punched him in the arm and hugged him again. "…That's for being late."

Oliver had flinched a little but accepted the punch with dignity, and, for a while after that, they just stood there, watching until grave was filled.

* * *

**Later…  
**_The Queen Mansion_

* * *

The two remaining Queens and Roy (who was staying there temporarily thanks to a lot of begging on Thea's behalf and the reassurance that he would be sleeping on an entirely separate _wing_) was lounging in the living room.

Roy, much to Oliver's displeasure, had his arms snaked around Thea's waist as they laid together on the couch, his chin propped on her head while she snuggled closer to him – Oliver himself was on the recliner chair next to the couch, half watching the two of them, half staring at the television screen with no real interest.

They heard the doorbell ring, and after a few minutes, Roza came in.

"Oliver?" the Russian woman asked, "You have a guest."

Thea craned her neck slightly. "Are you expecting someone?"

Oliver shook his head. "Who is it, Roza?"

She smiled slightly. "I think you would want to see for yourself."

Raising an eyebrow, Oliver stood up nonetheless.

When he got to the lobby, however, he stopped in his tracks when he saw the man standing there with his back turned.

"Mr. Wayne?" Roza said.

Turning around, Bruce Wayne's blue eyes met Oliver's green ones, and after a moment of silent scrutiny, a smirk graced the darker man's face.

"Oliver Queen – it's been too long."

* * *

**A/N:** So very tired… hope this isn't complete nonsense – I have a vision for this story, rest assured. I'll explain in detail the next time… after my academic life becomes less hectic (college… ugh…)

If you don't read anything else in the A/N's, read this as it is highly important – I have not watched season 2 yet, so, please, out of the bottom of my heart I ask, **DO NOT SPOIL IT FOR ME**.

That is all, thank you.

_**If you have a question, query or concern, please feel free to leave a review or PM me – your opinion is appreciated, flamers be damned.**_

Until next time,  
GoddessofDawn out


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Thank you so much for the response on the previous chapter! Okay, so in this chapter, we some slight, rather OOC bromance and a mysterious new arrival with a tendency to beat up people ;)

As always, please, please enjoy.

BTW – I got Season 2 as a birthday present! I was like :O at the end, I swear. And OMG, Diggle's gonna be a daddy!

**Disclaimer:** All related characters are property of DC. I just borrow them to play with time to time.

* * *

**And We All Fall Down**

* * *

"_She's got her halo and wings/Hidden under his eyes –  
But she's an angel for sure/She just can't stop telling lies."  
..._  
"Yeah she's got a criminal mind/He's got a reason to pray –  
His life is under the gun/He's got to hold every day."_**  
**_- The Killers, '_**Under the Gun'**_ Lyrics

* * *

**~2~  
**_Encounters_

* * *

When Oliver didn't return, Thea turned so that she was lying on her back, still in Roy's arms.

"I wonder what's keeping him," she mused.

Roy shrugged casually. "Dunno."

"Well then, c'mon, let's go look." she said, nudging him in the stomach.

He looked at her blearily. "Can't we just make-out while your brother's out of the room?"

She looked at him, deadpan, "Yeah, nice try," she said, sitting up and pulling him with her with a strength that surprised him.

Roy groaned when Thea got off the couch but followed after her dutifully as she led him on by the hand.

However, when they did get to the lobby, the sight that waited for them was well worth giving up a quick, stolen make-out session with his girlfriend, after all, it wasn't every day he got to see Thea's hard-ass brother in a head-lock.

* * *

He was taken by surprise – that was all, it was nothing to be ashamed of, really – really…

"Ready to give up yet, Queen?" Bruce said, his arms tightening.

Oliver snorted. "In your dreams, Wayne," he said, sharply elbowing the other man in the rib before he managed to break out of his hold.

When the two of them separated, they had a minor stare-down before the both of them just cracked up and started laughing. They stepped forward and hugged each other briefly.

"Bruce Wayne," Oliver stated, "you rich bastard – it's been years."

Bruce gave him a firm pat on the back and stepped away. "Five to be exact, but who's counting?"

"I don't know if you knew this, but I've been out of town for a while."

The darker man cocked an eyebrow but was still smiling. "So I've heard…"

"God… it really has been a long time, hasn't it?"

The next thing the two men knew, they heard a voice. "Bruce?"

When they looked over their shoulders, they saw Thea standing in the doorway leading to the living room, eyes wide while Roy looked unsure whether he should laugh or even be there.

Bruce grinned. "Well I'll be damned – is that you, Speedy?" he asked, he and Oliver watching in amusement as Thea grimaced and Roy only just managed to hide his laugh as a bad cough.

"Ugh… _how_ do you even remember that?" she grumbled.

Roy leaned in a little so that he could whisper in her ear, "Do you mind if I call you 'Speedy' too?"

"Do it, and," when she whispered the rest of her threat in his ear, the grin on Roy's face fell off.

Both Oliver and Bruce then watched as the redhead straightened up and cleared his throat. "Thea's good, it's really good. Thea's great." He said with conviction. She smirked in satisfaction.

"Anyway, Roy, this is Bruce Wayne, he's been a personal friend of mine and my family's for years. Bruce, this is Thea's… friend, Roy Harper," Oliver said, earning himself a glare from Thea, which he ignored.

"Friend…?" Bruce said, looking at the younger man appraisingly.

"We're dating," Roy said bluntly, standing up a little straighter, meeting his eyes and holding Thea's hand more firmly as if proving a point. "But, wait – Bruce Wayne? That kinda sounds familiar."

"You've probably read about him," Thea said, rolling her eyes.

It took a minute for Roy to understand before it dawned on him. "Oh, yeah – I think I saw something about you in a magazine once. You're from Gotham City, right?"

Bruce nodded, easing up on his scrutiny. "I am."

"Bruce's got a reputation for being… something of a jack of all trades." Oliver said diplomatically, despite the smirk on his face telling otherwise.

"Billionaire, philanthropist, playboy," Thea explained when she saw Roy's confusion. She then paused. "But, now that I think about it, I haven't heard about you in a while now."

Bruce snorted in amusement. "Is that a bad thing?"

"No… but going from Gotham's Prince to its Recluse _is_ pretty suspicious…" Thea said teasingly.

"I wouldn't go that far," Bruce admitted. "I still cause enough trouble to appear on page six in the _Gazette_… occasionally."

"Only occasionally?" Oliver smirked. "I think you're losing your touch, Wayne."

Bruce narrowed his eyes in a playful glare, "Never."

"So, what are you doing in my city?" he asked, tilting his head slightly

"Believe it or not, I'm actually here on business." Bruce answered smoothly.

"You finally took over the _Wayne Enterprises_?" Oliver said, somewhat surprised.

"I did, I'm attending a charity event on behalf of the company next weekend."

"You mean the 'Privileged for the Glades' thing?" Thea asked.

Bruce nodded. "And I thought since I'm here I might as well check up on you as well."

Oliver shook his head. "Well, you picked one hell of a time to visit, Bruce."

"I know… I hope you don't mind…?"

"Like you even have to ask… besides, I doubt I'd be able to stop you even if I wanted to." Oliver said dryly.

"And they said I was the smart one," Bruce smirked.

"You're right, I ended up being the smart and the charming one – tough luck, Bruce."

"Let's not forget the one with the rapidly swelling head."

"Ha-ha, very funny."

"_I_ thought so."

"Okay!" Thea interrupted, clearly amused. "We get it, you guys got the whole bromance thing going on, but we're being rude – Bruce, since you're here now, do you want to stay for dinner?"

Before Bruce could open his mouth to reply, the phone in his jacket pocket vibrated.

Excusing himself, when he checked the message that had come through, something clouded in his eyes and he slipped his phone back into his jacket.

"I would have loved to, Thea, but something important just came up." He apologized sincerely.

"Business?" Oliver asked.

"In a manner of speaking…" He allowed.

"Well, you still have that penthouse in the city, right?" Oliver asked. "I'll call you up tomorrow and we can have lunch."

Bruce smiled slightly. "I'd like that, and maybe we can reschedule that dinner?" he said, looking at Thea.

"Cool," the teenager said with a grin.

"Until tomorrow then?" Bruce asked, holding out his hand to shake Oliver's.

Oliver clasped it amicably and they shook, "Until tomorrow."

Bruce said his goodbyes to Thea and Roy and then turned around and left.

"He hasn't changed at all, has he?" Oliver said wryly, he and Thea waving at him as Bruce got into his car and drove away.

"I don't know…" Thea admitted, "I haven't seen him in a while, but there's definitely something different about him."

Oliver looked at her curiously. "Why's that?"

Thea shrugged. "It's just a feeling," she said lightly. "…It's probably nothing."

Oliver then felt the phone vibrate, and when he fished it out of his pocket, he saw it was from Diggle and stood apart from his sister.

"_Something's happening down at the docks,"_ Diggle's voice came before Oliver could open his mouth.

"Hello to you too, Diggle," Oliver said, deadpan. "…And what do you want me to do about it?"

He could almost hear the frown in his voice. _"I thought you might want to check it out, they say some masked woman is causing problems."_

Oliver stiffened a little.

"_Oliver?"_

He sighed. "I'll be there." He said, hanging up and pocketed his phone again. He then turned to Thea.

The teenager looked at him, worried. "What's wrong?"

"I got to go… that was Diggle, trouble at the club," he explained briefly.

"Couldn't he check it out?"

"Trust me, I wish he did," Oliver said darkly.

"Well… you're coming back, right?" Thea asked, slightly doubtful.

Oliver kissed her on the head. "I'll see you later," he promised, going to get his keys and leaving behind a frowning Thea.

* * *

**Meanwhile, at a warehouse at the Docks…**

* * *

The thug hit the wall with a reckless thump as another slumped down ungracefully onto his side – the last remaining thug had the breath knocked out of his as a crimson high-heeled boot came down on his chest, keeping him there as the blood trickled down the side of his mouth.

(He's going to kill you,) he sneered in Greek, looking up at the woman standing over him through a swelling black eye.

She stepped down harder on him, possibly fracturing something as she did.

(Then I assume you know where he is?) She responded icily.

(Even if I did, I wouldn't tell you anything.) He said, and then, regularly, "You're out of your league, lady – and after tonight, after what you did, you might as well paint a target on your back to spare him the time finding you."

Sea blue eyes narrowed behind a red domino mask, and with a surprising strength, she suddenly yanked him up by his collar before backing him up against a wall.

"Enough talk," she said normally, her voice hard. "He risked a great deal crawling out of Gateway and I want to know why that is – tell me or I break something else."

With a wince, the thug looked up at her, defeated.

"Okay, o-okay," he said weakly before gesturing with his head to the side at a crate on the far end of the room. "Over there, the Boss wanted us to bring that in for him – said it was important."

"What's in it?" she asked, suspiciously.

"What makes you think I'd know, you stupid bi-"

Before he could get another word in, she brought her elbow up to his face sharply and knocked him out.

Letting him fall to the ground, unconscious, she stepped back and walked over to the crate.

Her breath caught when she opened it, and found a breastplate – clearly ancient, what made the piece of armor unusual was that it seemed to have been made for a woman, the metal was a shade of deep, metallic red while the detailing at the base and the insignia over the chest was made out of gold.

Her hands tightened as she gripped at the lid of the crate, and for a moment, she felt like she wanted to stagger – her lips drew into a thin grim line as she slammed it shut, her eyes dark with thought.

* * *

**A while later…**

* * *

The Arrow grimaced as he stood, unnoticed on the rooftop across from the warehouse – police lights flickering down below as officers took in several apparent smugglers.

Reaching up to the comm. in his ears, Arrow contacted Diggle.

"Why did you waste my time with this?" he said impatiently.

"_I don't get it – the reports said that a masked woman was busy tearing it up down there. Oliver, I swear I thought it was-"_

"Helena wouldn't come back to Starling unless her father was involved," Arrow said pointedly, stepping back slightly, away from the edge.

He heard a sigh on the other end. _"I'm sorry, man – but, don't you think you should check it out anyway? It might not be Helena, but if somebody else is running around beating the crap out of creeps, wouldn't you want to know about it?"_

Arrow let out a sigh. "It's not my concern anymore, Dig."

"_I don't believe that."_

"Believe whatever you want, I'm going home." He said, and with that ended the connection.

However… before the Arrow turned away from the sight, something strange caught in the corner of his eye – a woman, standing in the dark alleyway right next to the warehouse, apart from everything and concealed in the shadows, watching the whole thing without anyone noticing.

For some reason, she caught his attention, and when she slipped away, Arrow decided to follow after her.

She stuck to using dark alleyways while he trailed her on the rooftops, her posture noticeably rigid as she continually looked over her shoulder.

She happened to glance up once before ducking into another empty warehouse.

When she didn't come out, the archer decided to go in after her – he used one of the upper windows to slip in, his bow drawn and arrow held at the ready as he went down to the lower level.

The warehouse hadn't been used in years – the building was practically falling apart as old crates stood around in multiple heaps, moonlight streaming in through the gaps in the roof.

Arrow walked under an old walkway, still keeping his eyes open, until, unexpectedly, he heard low grunt and the swoosh of air, and the next thing he knew, his breath was practically knocked out of him when something sharp kicked him in the back and made him stumble.

Straightening up immediately after he recovered, when he turned around, the same woman who he had been tracking was hanging from the walkway until she let go and landed cat-like on her feet.

When she stood up straight, she glared at him with harsh, sea-blue eyes hidden behind a red domino mask, raven black hair spilling over her shoulder in a mass of curls – her outfit was… particular, she wore dark blue leather pants with a golden belt with several compartments around her hips while her red boots reached just below her knees. A black leather jacket covered a bustier-like crimson chest plate that was made out of Kevlar. She also had a single silver pendant in the shape of a star around her neck and seemed almost out of place.

The two of them regarded each other for a moment before she spoke first.

"Why are you following me?" she asked slowly. Her voice had the slightest accent in them, and Arrow vaguely wondered where she could be from – the Mediterranean, perhaps?

"Someone had to make sure you don't hurt anyone else." He answered evenly.

"Those were not good men." She bit back.

"Probably not – I just don't like it when someone comes into my city causing trouble."

She scoffed. "Forgive me if I'm not daunted."

Arrow raised his bow slightly, "How about now?" he said, deadpan.

She rolled her eyes. "I've seen worse." She said before drawing a pair of Eskrima sticks from her belt and held them in front of her defensively. "I do not, however, wish to fight you now."

"Then I'll get to the point – get out of my city."

Her eyes narrowed. "Not happening."

"I wasn't asking"

The woman's posture turned aggressive. "I'd like to see you try and make me leave."

Before the archer could react, she then came at him, bringing her weapons down hard over his head – he was just able to block her with his bow and just had enough time to evade when the woman when she made to kick him.

She came at him again and again repeatedly, and for several minutes, they traded blows – but whereas he had a slight advantage in strength and speed, the woman was relentless, skilled and obviously very well trained; she managed to land several blows on his arms, his legs and his chest.

She landed a sharp kick to his stomach, making him stumble back – she drew close again, intending to strike at him again when he drew his bow and arrow again, aiming it at her, not intending to fire it, only to stop her in her tracks which she did.

However, in a blur of commotion, the next thing he knew, something small, black and metallic flew straight at him, striking him on his hand, making him loose his grip on his bow and it clattered onto the ground.

Mere seconds late, something was thrown at their feet, and before anything else could happen, the whole room burst into white smoke.

Blinded, the smoke made the archer cough – he was quick to recover his bow, but, just and as quickly as the smoke appeared, it evaporated into thin air, and he muttered an oath under his breath when he found that he was alone.

Looking around furiously, bow still held at the ready, he spotted the black metallic disk that had struck him.

He reached up for his comm. as he walked over to examine it.

"Diggle," he began somewhat cautiously. "Are you still there?"

The reply was almost instantaneous. _"Oliver?"_

"I… think we might have a problem." He said reluctantly.

Diggle paused on the other side of the line._ "…What happened?"_

"It's that woman, she might not be Helena," he began, picking up the disk, raising an eyebrow when he saw that it was shaped like a bat, "But whoever she is, she isn't alone."

* * *

**At the same time…**

* * *

She barely had time to protest as he lead her away from the warehouse, both of them shadows blending into the dark alleyways – when he stopped, she glared when he let go of her wrist and turned to face her. She didn't make to break away when he then wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her to him as he pulled out a grapnel from his belt.

Almost instinctively, she put her arms around his neck. His arm tightened around her.

Blue eyes met the white lenses of his terrifying cowl, and without looking away, he aimed the grapnel, and with a mechanical whirl and a tug, their feet left the ground.

When they touched down on a nearby rooftop, they stayed as they were for several moments, watching each other silently until she looked away with an almost weary sigh.

"You didn't need to do that." She said, letting her arms drop from around his neck.

His mouth pressed into a thin line. "He was dangerous." He said – his voice low and rough yet unusually soft.

"I had it under control," she said and stepped back.

"He had an arrow pointed at you." He said – a hard edge creeping into his voice as the whites of his cowl narrowed.

"He wouldn't have shot at me."

"But what if he did?"

A slight spark of annoyance entered her eyes. "What are you doing here, Bruce?" she said very quietly.

He made to take a step closer to her. "You know the answer to that one, Princess."

She turned away from him with her body, cutting him off mid-step. "Don't… You can't convince me to change my mind."

"Diana…" he said, his voice just softness now, tender and yet…

She looked away, refusing to meet his eyes. "I'm not leaving." She said and then looked up, staring right in front of her. "I can't, you know why."

He approached her again. She made no move to turn away this time.

Her breath caught when she felt his fingers brush against her jaw, and with gentle tilt of her head, made her look at him. His mouth was now set in a distinctive frown.

"You'll get hurt."

"Isn't that a risk we all have to take from time to time?"

"Not me – not you."

She covered his hand with her own before removing it from her face, not letting it go immediately as she stepped back again.

"Go back to Gotham, Bruce…" she said, finally letting go, taking more steps back. "I won't let you get involved in this."

He didn't move, but his mouth turned into a determined line as he watched her go, and as she left, barely audibly, "It's too late for that, Princess…"

* * *

**A/N:** I'm trying my hand at drama – I hope this wasn't overkill! *mutters* …I actually really liked this X3

_**Important**_! And in case you are all wondering why I made Diana's 'default' weapons Eskrima sticks (which is, as you diehard DC comic fans should know is Nightwing's weapon of choice), I wanted to keep this as realistic as possible, meaning Diana is not the mythical Amazon of legend that we all know and love and would not have a magical lasso made by the gods. Her back story for this fic will be told, just give me some time and be patient, I promise it'll be quite something. Also, since Dick is still Robin in this, I'm sure he wouldn't mind lol.

**Response to Reviews:**

Mr. Oliver Queen: I know and as previously stated above, it was EPIC. Thank you very, very much for being this story's first reviewer, and there will be more Bat/Arrow interaction and etc later on :)

Lloyd RPGFan: I thank you for saying that :)

Meculedes: Thank you!

Kelana-ti: And there will be more Dick cuteness to come, promise – thank you for your kind words.

letskilloctavian: Why is Dick in here? Because, and I couldn't possibly say this enough times, he is awesome, and because this story is gonna be kinda dramatic and we're all gonna need some Robin goodness to lighten it up every once in a while – but thank you for reviewing… as for which season of Batman? Uh… whatever makes you happiest, man lol.

**If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me – otherwise, make my day a little happier and leave a review! **

Until next time,  
GoddessofDawn out


End file.
